Machine for disposing of artichoke plants



Aug. 9; 1932. A. BELLI 149871,025

Mksm-NE FOR DIsPosING oF ARTIcHoKE PLANTS Filed April 27, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l A 7- 'raRA/Ey 'Aug. 9, 1932.

A. BELLI' 1,871,026

MACHINE FOR DISPOSING OF ARTICHOKE' PLANTS Filed' April 27, 1931 3 'sheets-sheet 2 'I 'lflflllllll A T repli/EY l Aug. 9, 1932. A. BELLI L871026 MACHINE FOR DISPOSING OF ARTICHOKE PLANTS Filed April 27, 1931 3 SheetS-Shee A3 @wif/righ A 7` ToRA/E/ :Elf-,4.2,

Patented Aug. 9, 1932 AUGUs'roBnLLI, or NEAR SANTA CRUZ, cAI,1i'.o:eNi-.A

MACHINEIQR DISPOSING OF ARTICHOKE PLANTS Application ined April a?,

Itis the object of the present invention to provide a machine that will effectually `destroy and buryarticho-ke plants in the field after the crop has been harvested.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine' embodying my invention, parts broken away.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Y parts'broken away. Y

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 1, parts broken away.

VFigure 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5 of Figure 1, parts brokenaway.

l Figure 6 is a front elevation of the chopper device. Y Y

Figure 7 is a detail view of the supporting `means for the chopping knives.

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line 8 8 of Figure 2. A

The body of the machine comprises a platform 1 mounted upon a frame2 including a pair of forwardly projecting spaced bars 3 and 4 mounted upon a front cross bar 5 in the positions shown and to one side of its central point, and a Ufshaped beam mounted on bar 5 adjacent the end remote from bars 3 4 and of greater length than bars 3 4, as shown A at'V A l Where identical structures are shown in the y accompanying drawings one structure is .described in rdetail and the other indicated by similar numerals followed by the letter at- The body portion 1 6 is mountedupon wheels 7 7 a for vertical adjustment in the followingmanner. Y

Considering one end of bar 5, a pair of opposed channel bars as 8 8 are vertically 3 mounted thereon in fixed relation thereto and in. spaced relation to each other to forma guide 9. Over the upper ends of these bars is mounted a bracket 10 having an upstanding bearing. portion 11 formed on its inner side to `receive one endof a shaft 12, the other end of theshaft being supported by a bracket 13 on platform 1 and havin an operating wheel 14 mounted. thereon. lidably mounted in guide9 nis a follower or shoe 15v carrying a stub shaft 16 on which wheel 7 rotates.

1931. j serial No. 533,345.

tending a distance above bracket 10. A bevel gear as 18 is mounted on rod 17 to bear against bracket 10 and meshing with a bevelA gear`19 on shaft 12. By means of this construction operation of Wheel 14 will raise or lower 'the structure relative to shaft 16. Y

In the construction just described the whole weight of the platform and parts mountedl thereon is carried bythe gear 18, obviously subjecting the threads to undue wear and rendering its operation diicult. To correct i this l mount a collar 2O upon the upperend,v of rod 17 Vand insert coiled springs as 21 between the collar and arms 22on thelower end of channelbars 8 8. By this means a portion ofthe Weight is carriedrby rod 17 and wheel 7, yet the vertical adjustment of the structure may be readily effected by move-` ment of the gear 18 in either direction.

The platform 1 and parts mounted thereon are adjustably supported about the axis of wheels 7 7@ yin the following` manner.

Mounted in bar 4, and in an arm 23 mounted r bars 2(5 27 at 28. A drafthead 30 is pivotally mounted on end 28 as at 31, and wheels 32Y are mounted thereon as at 33. An operating rod 34 threaded `at 35 and having a handle 36 is mounted in a bearing 37 on theplatform 1. VAr sleeve 38is threaded on rod 34 and has a pair of links as 39 and 40 mounted on each side thereof as at 41, one link being pivotally connected tol beam 6 as at 42, andthe other being pivotally connected to a yoke 43 v on` bars 26 27 as at 44. f j

By means of this construction the platform 1 and the parts mounted thereon may be tilt'- ed about the axis of the wheels 7 7 was desired by rotating the rod 34 in either direc tion, the links 39 40 operating to swing the beam-6 in a vertical planeV about shaft 24. i

A trench forming` plow is mounted on bar 29 in the following manner. The plow share 45 is provided with an arm 46 passing upwardly through a guide 47 on bar 29 where it is pivotally connected as at 48 to an operat ing lever 49 fulcrumed on bar'29 as at 50 and provided with a. foot pedal at 51 overlying platform 1. The lever may be locked in any suitable position by engagement with an upstanding ratchet 52 on platform A1. A second arm 53 is mounted on the share 45 -and is directed upwardly and forwardly a distance as shown and provided witha'terminal nger 54 passing upwardly.throughv a guide 55 in which it is pivoted by means of a pin 56. By

' operating lever 49 the plow may be'verticallv adjusted and f. its effective working angle changed as desired relative to the' frame 26,-27-29.

The bulky top of the plant is chopped up lin the following manner. Y Afshaft 5,7 is verf tically mounted in bearings 58` mounted on bar 5 and extending forwardly thereof in the position shown, the shaft being actuated by gea-r and shaft connections 59 to amotor 60 on platform 1. VOnvshaft .57 are vertically spaced and horizontally disposed knives k61. A shield 62 is mounted on bars 3 and 4 rearwardly of shaft 57, and a number of fingers .63 are mounted on one edge of the shield to extend inwardly between the several knives. As the machine moves along the. row of plants thefrapidly rotating knives cut each plant into small parts Ywhich the shield throws to the ground in front ofthe scraper hereinafter described. Y f

The scraper 64 is mounted on the under side of frame 2 Vand is provided with a cutting edge 65 disposed tomove substantially at the surface of the ground to cut Vthe stalks of the plants at the ground ,level. Y The scraper is scoop shaped and is angularly dis-f posed, extending from a pointrearwardlyy of the outer side of shield 62 toapoint beneath the rear edge of platform 1 and back of the plow 45, whereby material cutas described will be gathered up and carried a distance laterally and discharged into the trench formed by the said plow.

It may now be seen that I have provided a-machinefthatfmayvbe drawn over a field down a row of artichoke plants, with Ythe plowY forming a trench alongside of the row, `the chopper cutting each plantinto small pieces, and the scraper depositing the cut material in the trench. The scraper also gathers up suiiicient soil to cover the material after it is deposited in the trench.

The vertical adjustments actuated by hand wheels r14-l4czr,V permit the scraper to be raised or lowered or tilted endwise to any desired degree, and the adjustment effected by rod permits thescraper to -be tiltedas desired about the axis of the wheels,

mountedA4 on thevehicle rearwardly of the chopping means andv disposed at an angle to the line of draft ofthe vehicle wherebyto cut down the unchopped portions of the stalks and to gather the chopped and .cut

material and deposit it in the trench formed Y.

by the trench forming means. 'K j 2. A machine of the character described comprising, a frame and supporting wheels therefor, a beam mounted thereon and eX- tending forwardly thereof, a secondframe pivotally mounted thereony and extending forwardly thereof in parallel relation Ato the said beam, draft means pivotally connected to the second kframe and supporting. wheels therefor, a plow operatively mounted ontheV second frame, plantchopping means mounted on the first frame and spaced laterally from said plow, a scoop scraper mounted on the first frame rearwardly of the chopping means and adapted to discharge rearwardly of the plow, and means for tilting the first frame relative to the'second frame.

3. A 'machine of the characterY described therefor, a beam mounted thereon and exe tending forwardly thereof, a .secondframe pivotally .mounted thereon forwardly thereof on both sides of said beam, 'wheelsupported draft means pivotally connected yokel and beam, a sleeve connected to .said

links at the pointA of their pivotal connecf tion, a rod threaded into said sleeve, a bear-e ing for the rod yandV means for holding the rod' against longitudinal movement rotation of the rod willV actuate the second frame, a. plow mounted on the se'c-v ond frame, materialchopping means mounted on the first frame, Aand a scoop scraper mounted on the first frame rearwardly of the chopping means and "adaptedy tofvdischarge rearwardly of -thesaid plow;` l

4.*A machine of the character 'described comprising, a pair of supporting wheels,a

frametiltably mounted thereon, means for.`

and extending Y to said second frame, a 'yokev mounted on the second frame, a pair of links pivotally connected to each other and :to :said

whereby' links to.. tiltthe beam and first frame relative to the comprising, a frame and supporting wheelsv vertically adjusting either end of the frame thereon, a beam mounted on the frame and extending forwardly thereof, a second frame pivot-ally mounted with respect to the first frame, means for tilting the first frame With respect to the second frame inserted between the second frame and forward end of the beam, supporting Wheels mounted on the forward end of the second frame, a plow mounted on the second frame, plant chopping means mounted on the first frame, and a scoop scraper mounted on the first frame rearwardly of the chopping means and adapted to discharge rearwardly of the said plow.

5. ln a device of the character described, a platform, a vertically disposed guide mounted on each end thereof, a follower disposed in each guide and having a wheel mounted thereon, a threaded rod mounted on each follower and extending upwardly through the top of the guide, a gear on each rod engaging the overlying top of the guide, means for rotating the gear in either direction whereby to raise or lower the platform relative to the wheels, and resilient means connecting the top of the rod and the guide whereby to carry a. portion of the weight of the platform and parts mounted thereon on the wheels through the medium of the said followers and rods.

6. A. machine of the character described comprising a pair of supporting wheels, a frame tiltably mounted thereon, means for vertically adjusting either end of the frame thereon, a second frame pivotally mounted with respect to the rst frame, means for tilting the first frame with respect to the second frame, supporting wheels mounted on the second frame, a plow mounted on the second frame, plant chopping means mounted on the first frame, and a scoop scraper mounted on the first frame rearwardly of the chopping means and adapted to discharge rearwardly of the said plow.

AUGUSTO BELLI. 

